NEWLANDS LAW OF

OCTAVES
.
- JOHN ALEXANDER REINA NEWLANDS
 JOHN ALEXANDER REINA
NEWLANDS

John Newlands, in full John

Alexander Reina Newlands, (born
November 26, 1837, London, England
—died July 29, 1898, London),
English chemist whose “law
of octaves” noted a pattern in the
a t o m i c s t r u c t u re o f e l e m e n t s w i t h
s i m i l a r c h e m i c a l p ro p e r t i e s a n d
contributed in a significant way to
the development of the periodic law.
 NEWLANDS LAW OF OCTAVES
W h e n e l e m e n t s a re a r r a n g e d i n t h e o rd e r o f i n c re a s i n g a t o m i c
m a s s e s t h e p ro p e r t i e s o f t h e e i g h t h e l e m e n t a re re p e t i t i o n o f
t h e p ro p e r t i e s o f t h e f i r s t e l e m e n t . I t i s s i m i l a r t o t h e
re p e t i t i o n o f e i g h t h n o t e i n a n o c t a v e o f m u s i c s o i t i s k n o w n
as law of octaves. Newland divided the elements into
h o r i z o n t a l ro w s o f s e v e n e l e m e n t s
 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
advantages
a) This classification worked well for lighter
elements only up to Ca.
b)  This classification gave us a relation
between the properties of the elements and
their atomic masses
c) It was shown by this classification for the
first time that there exists a periodicity in
the properties of the elements.
disadvantages
a) This classification failed when the heavier
elements beyond Ca were arranged
according to Newland's law of octaves
b) At the time of this law, noble gases were
unknown. When noble gases were
discovered, At the time of this law, noble
gases were unknown. When noble gases
were discovered,
 LIMITATIONS
a) H e a s s u m e d t h a t o n l y 5 6 e l e m e n t s e x i s t e d
i n n a t u re a n d n o m o re e l e m e n t s w o u l d b e
di sco v ere d i n f u t ure
b) A t p l a c e s h e p u t e v e n t w o e l e m e n t s
together in one slot and that too in the
column of unlike elements having
di f f ere nt pro pe r t ie s
c) I r o n w h i c h r e s e m b l e s C o b a l t a n d n i c k e l
i n p ro p e r t i e s w a s p l a c e d f a r a w a y f ro m
these elements
d) I t w a s a p p l i c a b l e t o c l a s s i f i c a t i o n o f
elements up to calcium only or it worked
wi t h e l em en t s w hi c h w ere l i g ht .